Winds of Change
by pumayaton
Summary: Every breath they have taken has ridden on these winds that are about to change lives forever.
1. Weather the storm

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, or any of the characters involved in this story, nor do I make money from this work of fiction.

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The group was tired, haggered even, but none the less worse for wear in the emotional department. They had accomplished what they had set out to do years before, their foe fallen. Naraku had been slain by Higurashi Kagome's arrow, now nothing more than dust. The wounds that covered the bodies of her companions had just begun to heal in the week since the battle, tended to by Kagome, with tender loving care, who now sat sewing more stitches by a campfire, only this time is was not flesh she sewed, but clothing.

The plating of Sango's leather armor had come loose of its stays, and with great concentration in the fading light, Kagome's thin bone needle danced through the pre-made holes in the leather connecting each piece once again to it's mate.

In a tree a few yards off sat a man with pale coloring clutching a sword in the darkness of the canopy. His back pressed close against the bark of the great pine, his legs draped over each other twining at angles that mirrored the twisted old tree itself. His head tilted up into the wind, as he felt his red haori catch slightly on the texture of the bark. He inhaled towards an almost full moon shining in pink and orange light of the sky, taking in the scent of the dusk air. His silver left ear twitched backwards towards the camp, listening to the sounds of Miroku's whispers, and the soft thudding of the toad that Shippou, the young kitsune tried to catch. But most prominent was the soft _woosh_ made by Kagome's needle as it passed, in and out of the leather at a steady pace. So steady, that the man in the tree matched his painful breathing to the rythem, in and out, in and out. And suddenly, it stopped.

He looked back and saw the small woman lift her handy work before her eyes, inspecting here, and tugging there. Checking every part to ensure the security of the armor for the safety of her friend.

"Here Sango, this should last you at least until we get to the village. After that I would have someone more skilled take a look."

The lithe, taller woman picked up the armor and smiled, "I think you did pretty good. How about some dinner everybody?"

Kagome turned to the still playing kitsune. "Shippou, do you think you could find us some mushrooms? I have some dried beef left, and potatoes, I could make a decent stew!"

The fox pup nodded enthusiastically and bounded into the forest.

As Miroku the monk tended the fire, watching the ingredients of a divine smelling meal mull together, Sango pet her demon friend Kirara, feeling the rumble of happiness that escaped with each stroke. Shippou colored with crayons that Kagome had brought him from the future, happily humming a tune as he worked.

The young woman stood brushing dust off of her skirt and walked over to where the man sat in the tree. "Inuyasha?" she whispered, knowing he would hear her. A branch then broke and the blades of grass beneath the tree swayed as the half demon hit the ground with a resounding thump. He looked at her with mournful eyes and hesitated before he stepped forward and ran long claws through her dark hair, brushing it gently from her shoulders.

"You shouldn't do that you know, falling like that." she said. Their eye contact remained unbroken, a link between chocolate and tawny gold. "You'll just re-injure yourself. Your ribs were basically reduced to puzzle peices."

His voice sounded listless when he spoke, as though he were tired beyond imagining. "It's fine, really Kagome. Time to eat?"

"Mmm." was the reply he got, he could taste her concern for him in the air, the unasked question of "How are you doing? Please tell me what's wrong!" was almost visible at the edge of her mind. Their eyes finaly released each other as they turned to walk the few steps back to camp.

If only he could say what he needed to say without hostility rising in his throat. He had no right to yell at her or scream. After all, she didn't really belong to him anyway. He should try to be happy, or at least his normal self. _Make the most of it_, ran through his mind. For after all, in two days time they would be back in Kaede's hut in the village, and she would purify the Shikon no Tama, leaving him forever.

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Author's Note:

My Darlings,

I would love to use one of you brilliant and beautiful people as my beta for this story. Interested parties should say so in the reviews and I will choose one of you fine souls to help me out.

Throughout this work, I will take your suggestions for plot-line under consideration, as even I don't quite know the ending yet.

Warm days and pleasant nights to you, my most beloved readers,

Pumayyaton


	2. Kagome

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters in this story, nor do I make money from this work of fiction.

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The jewel that sat in the breast pocket of here shirt felt like it weighed a thousand pounds as she walked passed the edge of the village towards Kaede's hut. Inuyasha, who had been so somber the past week, had finally perked up a little of the past two days of their journey to take her back to the well. She could feel his presence, closer than he usually walked, behind her as they walked past huts with smoking chimneys and kitchen gardens just begining to bud with summer vegetables. Miroku and Sango, a few feet ahead, ducked into the curtain that covered the door to the old miko's home, still wrapped in each others affections as they had been since Naraku's fall. That couple, so happy to be free of duty, seemed oblivious now to anything but each other.

Kagome stopped and her breath hitched. She couldn't do this. _What if purifying the jewel cast her out of this time forever, away from the people who she had fought alongside for three years?_ The pit of her stomach sank at the thought. _What if she couldn't go back to her mother and brother ever again?_ Her heart felt like it was trapped like a rabbit in a snare. Her worries ran around and around so fast that it made her giddy. She felt her knees weaken and she snapped back to reality, realizing that Inuyasha had stopped alongside her sensing her distress.

"Baka! Come on 'Gome! The old lady is bound to want to hear the whole story." Inuyasha displayed a crooked smirk across his face one fang catching the high noon sun and glinting. The was something in his tone though, and the way the smile never reached his eyes that twanged at her heartstrings.

_I need more time!_ Still she could not make her legs move, overwhelmed by the sensation of needing to scream, or cry, or do anything but move forward. A gentle touch broke her of what ever awful spell had been cast on her. Inuyasha's clawed hand pushed at the small of her back, just enough to make her take on step forward, and then another, and another. Helping her along to whatever lay ahead, like he had for the entire time they had known each other. When she looked back at him, the hand at her back slowly fell, and the somber look in his eyes still did not match the smile that graced his face.

_More time._

Sake was poured in celebration and tales of the heroics of each member of the group were told as more and more members of the village came from their daily duties to celebrate.

_Please, more time._

She felt like she was on autopilot. Smiling and laughing and drinking when called for without hearing a word anyone said. Accepting thanks and congratulations never really seeing those that gave it to her.

_Kami-sama, please, more time._

At the same time she was hyper aware of the hanyou that sat next to her. How his fingers kept accidentally brushing hers in the dark corner of the hut they occupied, and how his voice cut though the night as he said "Kampai!" as they toasted those slain by Naraku's hand.

She knew Kikyo was on his mind as he said the word and downed his drink. She had died valiantly, blocking a shot meant for her and then disintegrating into dust, but not before the hanyou caught her as she fell, and heard her whisper the last words she would say into his ear. The fire that lit in him when her ashes flew away on the wind was something Kagome knew she would never forget. The speed at which he struck Naraku down to his knees was incredible delivering blow after blow in rapid succession until Kagome found an opening for her arrow to slip through and destroy with finality.

_I need more time for him to stop loving her. Please, more time!_

As she poured her fifth cup of sake down her throat and idea came to her. She would end this story how it began, in Midoriko's cave, just her and Inuyasha. It seemed fitting, like the right thing to do. Nodding her head in silent agreement with herself, she reached for the jar to refill her cup, as she heard music start in the village in celebration of their triumph. Her had had barely touched the ceramic of the handle to the jar when it was caught up, and she was pulled to her unsteady feet.

"Come on wench, we've got somewhere we need to be."

She was dragged outside, into the warm summer's night air. Miroku and Sango, and others of the village, danced as the drums thumped out a tune accompanied by some sort of wooden recorder. Paper lanterns strung on strings lit up the area dancing with the villagers, keeping time to the song of the wind.

Past the people they walked, out of the town though the rice fields and into the darker night. Inuyasha still held her hand, moving quickly, giving the well a wide berth as that they passed too. He stopped suddenly, and Kagome looked up into the face of the man she loved. Now the smile that graced his face was anything but fake. It was a soft, genuine smile. Almost like that of a mother looking at her child for the first time, but the eyes, those were different. Something else sparked there that made Kagome's heart feel like it was beating again.

The Goshinbuko stood before them, proud and tall, gnarled roots twisting and rising from the surface of the ground. Inuyasha sat with his back to the tree, knees bent and spread, and pulled Kagome into the the ground between them so her back rested against his chest and his nose buried in her hair.

"Here. Pour.", he said as he set the ceramic sake jug and two cups before them. When she bent forward to grab the jug, she felt his nose sweep lightly over the vein on the side of her neck causing an involuntary sigh to escape her lips.

Cups filled and in hand, they sat this way in silence for some time. Inuyasha wrapped his unoccupied hand around her waist, pulling her to him, alternating between staring at the stars and nuzzling her neck and face with his lips and nose. They spent an hour this way, simply enjoying the proximity they had to one another, until they both had emptied their glasses once again.

Kagome felt Inuyasha's hand running along her jawline, slowly coaxing her to face him. Their glazed eyes met and locked this way, not wanting to look away from one another, wishing they could suspend time there forever, until he had to ask, "What are you going to do, Kagome?"

* * *

Author's Note-

My Most Beloved,

Darlings, I will do my best to upload chapters as quickly as I can.

While I so prefer the art of a hand penned letter, in this day and age I will have to make due with this crude, and impersonal for of communication, known as the internet.

May the wind be ever at your backs my dears,

Pumayyaton


	3. Fighting Fate

Disclaimer:I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters in this story, nor do I make money from this work of fiction.

* * *

Kagome sighed; listening to Inuyasha's voice was all she wanted to do until she left. His mouth had tickled her ears as he spoke, and she could still feel him there waiting for an answer. She just sighed again and looked up at the now full moon that somehow was fitted into a hole in the clouds that blew through the sky above. It was as if the moon had parted them, just so it could witness their conversation.

At this point in the night, she was officially drunk for the first time. Inuyasha, sensing she was not ready for to give answer, reached forward to pour them both another glass, wrapping his arms around her small frame and leaning farther into her to accomplish his task. His chin rested on her shoulder as he slowly filled his cup. The scent of cherry blossoms and sake filled his nose, followed by dirt, and faintly blood that must have tainted her outfit while she tended the wounded. His cup filled, he moved to fill hers, but she rested a flat hand on the jar, stopping him. Kagome guessed that she was at the point that one more drink would be one to many, and right now, she felt heavenly.

In the cool breeze of the night she was hyper aware of how warm Inuyasha was and how the claws on his free hand tickled her ribcage. Her legs felt heavy and warm, like the blood that ran through her veins was too think, and she knew that her hands had lost all sense of coordination. She twisted her head back again, and Inuyasha looked down into her hazy eyes. _What am I going to do?_

She finished the liquid in her cup and answered.

"I want to stay here, but I don't know if I can", she noticed that her words were almost slurring together when she spoke. "I have to purify this blasted jewel, or there will never be any peace, but if I do, I don't know what will become of me. I could be blasted back to my own time, or killed because my usefulness is done, or a million other things."

A rumble erupted behind her that shook her spine. "You will _never_ be not useful."

The words were whispered into her ear, tickling her eardrum once again. His voice seemed deeper than when she had released him from the three that towered over them three years ago. Silence fell over them again. Kagome turned sideways between his legs and draped hers over his lap, slipping an arm around his waist. He looked down as she rested her free hand on his chest, and snuggled into the warm red haori. How could someone be so hard and so soft at the same time? She closed her eyes as he tilted her chin up to his face; he knew the liquor was making her sleepy, but what happened next sent a jolt through her body.

His claws skimmed her jaw line, ghosting the around her neck and tangling themselves in her hair. He kissed her, chastely, but with burning need and passion. It was gentle, yet desperate. It was fiercely needy, while still incredibly calm. Kagome's body curled tighter around her core trying to press herself as far into him as she could. Trying to tangle their bodies together. Trying to make them both one person. He pulled back away, hand not leaving her hair, eyes still locked to her face.

It felt like she had ascended to heaven. He had kissed her before, but it had never been like this. Those kisses had been spur of the moment, and short. This was premeditated, like he had been waiting for the opportunity to touch her lips for years.

For once she knew that Kikyo was not hovering in the back of his mind. He was there for her, as long as she needed him to be, and beyond. She didn't need reassurances, she just _felt _that way.

"Inuyasha?" she mumbled sleepily, laying her head back on his chest as his lips caressed her temples.

"Mmm?"

"Come home with me tomorrow, one last time together, before the jewel is gone? I need to say goodbye to my family, just in case." Her words drew closer together, and more unintelligible as she spoke, and before he could give a reply, he felt her drift off to sleep.

Looking once more to the full moon shining down from its vantage point among the clouds, he held the woman that he loved in his arms, and silently said his own sort of prayer for things to work out.

If you make her leave me, against her will, Kami-sama, I will find you out among the clouds and rip you limb from limb. Do you hear me?

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Authors Note-

Darling Readers,

In the country of my residence, we have this dreadful holiday known as Thanksgiving.

Everyone indulges in gluttony and gives thanks for all that they have surrounded by the family they secretly hate. Then after eating and drinking more food than any human should consume in a week, all for the purpose of being thankful, everyone sits around watching football, complaining about the referee and wishing the tv were bigger.

I am expected to join in this horrid tradition, so alas, I may not update for the rest of the week. My hands shall yearn for this keyboard while they are elbow deep in a dead turkey's ass.

May your holiday gluttony give you only minor indigestion Darlings,

Pumayyaton


	4. Caring

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters in this story, nor do I make money from this work of fiction.

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The morning sun made her squint her eyes as she slowly became aware of her surroundings and realized that she had fallen asleep sitting up and that there were a pair of muscular arms surrounding her waist. She moved, trying to break free of Inuyasha's grasp and felt her head pound again. His arms turned her, pulling her into a kneeling position in front of him so he could see her face, still lightly veiled in sleep.

"Good morning." he said with a coquettish smile on his face.

She groaned and rested her forehead on his collarbone in an attempt to block out the evil sun's rays. He pushed her back gently by both of her shoulders and kissed her again, just briefly brushing their lips together. She half smiled, half grimaced.

"Good? I feel like warmed over death."

"Keh. Baka! Perhaps you shouldn't have drunk so much." He leapt to his feet and offered an outstretched hand to so she could stand. She shielded her eyes as she took it, and he swung her gently onto his back. "Come on. We'll get you a real bath back at your house, and then you can talk to your family all you want. I won't even bitch that you're taking too long"

She grimaced again at the thought. It all was happening to fast. The only thing that tempered the thoughts of leaving her family behind and saying goodbye to her home was the thought that she could hopefully stay here, with Inuyasha and her friends, in the past. The thought of a real bath enticed her too, and since she had recently run out of the toothpaste she usually carried with her, it seemed like an added bonus. She almost wished she were a coward, and that she could stay without having to break her family's hearts, but she knew it would be wrong.

She lay her head on Inuyasha's shoulder as they darted through the forest to the well.

Today would be a long day.

Mrs. Higurashi sighed as she listened to the water in the bathtub upstairs slosh as her daughter hummed a song while enjoying her bath. She had known this day would come for some time now. Her son had gone to a friends for the afternoon, and Jii-chan had left to hide somewhere on the property as soon as he saw the hanyou.

Mrs. Higurashi rose from the dinner table and walked into the courtyard towards the Goshinbuko where Inuyasha sat, eyes closed, and hands folded into the sleeves of his haori.

"Inuyasha! Can you come down here please?" A loud thump was her answer as he landed before her. "You shouldn't do that you know with your ribs the way they are."

"Keh, Higurashi-sama, they healed just fine yesterday. Kagome is just a worry wart."

"Oh, well, I have something I need to show you." She turned on her heel and marched across the courtyard to the storehouse and opened the door. Dust clouded the air for just a moment as she pulled two large, unsealed boxes from the front of the small building. She opened them for Inuyasha to see the contents. The first, contained soap and shampoo bottles neatly lining its edges, along with toothpaste and brushes alongside boxes with labels for bandages and anti-septic ointments. Through the gaps he could see that all these products sat on top of books with the same strange symbol that graced the old medical kit Kagome carried with her everywhere. The second, was filled with bolts of cloth, kimonos, and other bits of clothing from Kagome's time.

"Why would we-"

Mrs. Higurashi cut him off,"My daughter loves you Inuyasha. I still feel the ache of losing her father, and I would never have my baby girl live through that sort of loss. I want you to take these back with you. While they won't last forever, they will keep her from homesickness for a short while at least. There are photos of us in there too, for her to remember us by. One more thing," She pulled a silver ring out of her pocket, "When the time is right, you give this to my baby. You take care of her."

Inuyasha gently took the ring off her palm, careful of his claws and inspected it. The band was woven of dozens of thin silver tendrils that looked like tree branches, occasionally giving way to small oval emeralds, making the effect of a tree in spring. "You know Mrs. Higurashi, if things go the way I plan, you'll see your daughter again. For her it will be five hundred years, when I bind her life force to mine. For you, hopefully, things won't take so long."

Mrs. Higurashi smiled. "I won't hold you to that Inuyasha. You could be very busy in five hundred years."

"Keh." The hanyou smirked, showing off his fangs, and tucking his hands back together under the sleeves of his haori. "You act like I could keep Kagome away."

"I hope you're right Inuyasha, I hope you are right."

The lady suddenly felt old as she looked at her daughter's love. Her outstretched hand reached out and once again lightly tugged one of his silver ears, as the wind whipped his hair past her hand. Surprisingly, he didn't complain, even leaned in to allow the woman access without standing on the tips of her toes. Catching the look of surprise in her eyes, he smirked again showing a slight crease beneath his bangs on his brow.

"I figure I won't see you for a while, it's the least I can do." He stood up, and walked back to the house carrying the two boxes on his shoulders.

Mrs. Higurashi smiled, looking up at the sun. "They're gunna do just fine."

Author's Note-

Oh, you who light up my life,

I just couldn't leave you for a week with naught but three chapters. It seemed cruel in my eyes. Almost as cruel as you are being my dears.

Not one of you has done me the honor of writing a review to tell me how much you hate my writing.

How it breaks my heart.

I will, however, not hold it against you.

I wait here, longing for your sweet words my darlings.

Pumayyaton


	5. Going Home

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters in this story, nor do I make money from this work of fiction.

* * *

Kagome rose from her bath for the last time and looked at her fingers. _Good and prune-y_, she thought, as she stretched her tired muscles. Her feet squished a little as she walked across the tile bath to the full length mirror that hung on the back of the washroom door. She stood there for a second, just staring at the steam before she used her towel to clear it away. She stared at her naked body, knowing that this may be the last time she got to see herself in a full length mirror. Her skin was still pink from the rough scrubbing she had given herself, and she had a few cuts on the back of her right hand from falling into a gorse bush. On her left forearm was a faint bruise from when she had fired a poor shot from her bow, and slapped her arm with the string. She ran her hands over her freshly shaved body, relishing how smooth it felt, and reminded herself to pack her dad's old straight razor, since it could be sharpened over and over. She didn't bother grabbing any soap or shampoo before she walked out the door.

"Might as well just jump into the lifestyle", she sighed.

She wrapped the towel around her hair and grabbed her robe off the hanger beside the door and tied it around her, and stomped to her bedroom. She pulled her big red suitcase out of the closed and began throwing things inside. She packed three pairs of her most sensible shoes, four changes of clothes, along with socks, bras, and underwear. An old silver hand mirror and brush of her grandmother's were gently wrapped inside a mink cape, another heirloom, this one from her great aunt. A paper package was set on top of the fur containing Kagome's expensive festival kimono and obi, a black silk creation decorated with gold and silver swallows that chased red and dark blue dragonflies. She went to her desk next and pulled out a photo album crammed with memories and an empty journal. _Paper is expensive in the feudal era,_ she thought practically, and tossed in another two empty leather books followed by a handful of black ink pens. Her suitcase was still over a quarter empty and she had no clue what to pack.

The thought of leaving her modern comforts forever with almost half her suitcase empty sent her into a nervous fit of laughter. She looked around the room again and decided on a few school books that could be used to teach Shippou and the thin, silky bathrobe she used in the summer, plus a few other random sundries.

She grabbed some clothes and plodded back to the bathroom. She smeared some moisturizer on her face, and then hummed while she blasted her hair with her blow dryer. She took her time dressing herself in a pair of jean shorts and a plain white tank top, and then, for once, pulled her hair back into a ponytail. She was quite pleased with what she saw when she looked in the mirror one last time before she went to go drag her closed suitcase and backpack downstairs. She paused at the entrance to her bedroom door, looking over her shoulder at the simple room that had been her haven for eighteen years. Her eyes began to water and she looked at the window, imagining Inuyasha's form perched there, glaring at her. She tilted her head back to prevent her tears from leaving telling trails down her face.

_I couldn't live without him_, she thought, and smiled.

"Goodbye, old life." She whispered, and before she shut the door, she turned off the light.

Mrs. Higurashi sat back down to her tea, which had now cooled to a comfortable temperature. Inuyasha had gone to take the boxes she had packed through the well so that he wasn't over-encumbered when he took Kagome with him for the final time. She could hear her daughter upstairs moving quietly around her bedroom and assumed that she was packing what she could to take with her back in time.

_I cannot cry, or she might not leave. I have to be strong, because my daughter, and Inuyasha need each other._

Mrs. Higurashi sipped her tea and stared out the kitchen window for what seemed like forever, playing grainy memories over and over again in her mind. Kagome's first steps and the first word she spoke. The time when Kagome was in first grade and came home mad as a hatter because some boy had kissed her cheek and given her cooties. The first time Kagome had gone to a slumber party, not knowing that her mother was back at home crying because her baby had grown up so much. All the memories made her smile, and she couldn't stop a tear from sliding down her face.

A sudden noise caused the woman to look up from her cup to the doorway. Kagome stood there, looking more like a woman than she ever had. Her daughter's hair was pulled back to reveal a face that had somehow lost its last traces of baby fat, giving way to high cheekbones and a pointed chin. Her clothes showed a womanly figure, full of slight curves that simply hadn't been there when she had fallen down the well three years ago. Her long, thin legs looked powerful and strong, and no longer had the gangly-ness of youth.

Kagome dropped the handle of her luggage, and opened her mouth to speak, seeing the tear roll down her mother's face, but before she could say anything her mother rose suddenly from the table.

Kagome's mouth shut, and in a sudden rush of emotion she felt five years old again and desperately needed her mother. The two women, one feeling incredibly young, and the other, disastrously old, ran to each other's embrace. Kagome's hands wrapped around her mother's waist, as her mother petted her hair and clung to her shoulders.

After a long minute, they pulled back, and looked each other in the eyes.

"Mom, I just don't belong here anymore. I've been gone to long and I just…"

"You don't have to say anything else sweetheart. I would give anything for one more day with your father." Mrs. Higurashi took a step back and wiped her face with the bottom of the apron she was wearing, "I'm just sad that there are so many things I will miss, and so many things that I never had the chance to tell you!"

"I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, sweetheart. It's time for you to go now; there are people that need you, and a whole new life that's waiting for you now!"

"_Ahem."_

Both women turned to see a rather embarrassed looking Inuyasha standing at the door, and laughed.

"Honey, Inuyasha and I have already said our goodbyes, and there are some things he took ahead that I packed for you. I'll tell Sota and Jii-chan that you love them. Saying goodbye to one person is hard enough!" Mrs. Higurashi's eyes misted over again as her daughter grabbed her suitcase and walked to the door, where the dog demon swung it up on his shoulder and grabbed her daughter's hand.

Kagome walked forward in long strides, two steps behind her love, and just as she reached the door to the well house, turned back and ran. She kissed both her mother's tear stained cheeks, and hugged her tightly once more.

"Don't forget me!" She whispered.

"Never."

Mrs. Higurashi closed her eyes to keep more tears from spilling over, and when she opened them, her baby was gone.

* * *

Back in the feudal era, the pair walked silently through the rice fields. Inuyasha could hear his friend sniffling quietly every couple of steps, and he knew she was biting back more tears. He dropped the suitcase in front of himself, and turned suddenly pulling the young woman into a tight hug, and allowed her to cry loudly into his haori. They stood this way for what seemed like forever, as loud ugly sobs rang out across the empty landscape.

Finally, he broke the silence. "You could go back you know. You don't have to stay here." He held his breath, expecting her to turn tail, and run back to her own time. Instead the sobbing stopped, and she looked up into his face, and smiled through her tears.

"It's just hard to leave your family, you know, but it would be harder to leave you and Miroku, and Sango, and Shippou. I couldn't live with that." He carefully wiped her eyes with the sleeve of his haori, tilted her chin up to him with gentle fingers, and kissed her softly. She kissed him back, and then pulled away and smiled again as she looked at his stoic face.

"I just want you to be happy, wench."

"And I will be. Let's go see our friends at Kaede's hut. It must be at least three in the afternoon! They are probably worried about us!"

Inuyasha threw her bag over his shoulder again, and turned to take her hand in his free one, and in this fashion, they walked silently into the village.

* * *

Author's Note-

Darlings,

Thank you for being so patient with me over this long and dreadful holiday. My family was just as opinionated as ever. I hope your festivities were more enjoyable than mine.

To the dear that wished for longer chapters: I will do my best to acquiesce your request, however I have little time, and even shorter patience, so I hope you will bear with me!

What do you think should happen next? I look forward to hearing from you my duckies!

Delightedly yours,

Pumayyaton


	6. Joy and Faith

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, or any of the characters involved in this story, nor do I make money from this work of fiction.

* * *

Miroku, Sango, and Shippou looked up from their steaming bowls of stew as a puffy-eyed, but smiling Kagome and a stern faced Inuyasha entered Kaede's hut. Inuyasha had thrown a bag much larger than Kagome's backpack into the corner of the room.

"Welcome back! How is the future today Kagome? You come back to us as lovely as always." Miroku couldn't help but use his patented 'ladies only' smile and eyebrow wiggle on her. Sango playfully smacked him across the shoulder closest to her, and smiled into the monk's eyes as he looked at her with a much softer gaze.

When they looked up from their silent conversation, the noticed two very strange things were occurring. One, a whole mess of emotions that were usually foreign to her played across Kagome's face: sadness, and fear, and confusion, loss, and exhaustion. Sango was the first to notice that she had been crying, and when Miroku followed the line of her sight and opened his mouth to speak, Sango laid a gentle hand on his forearm, stopping him, and balancing herself as she stood up on the tatami mat. The second thing that they saw was Inuyasha's hand, wrapped around her waist, and touching the small of the girl's back.

"I said goodbye." The young miko fiddled with her skirt as she simultaneously blinked back tears and smiled, "My life is here, in this time, now." As Kagome's head fell towards her chest, she once again stepped into Inuyasha's arms. He blushed furiously at the way her hands were on his chest in public, but wrapped his arms around her anyway as she cried again. The hanyou rested his chin on her head, and closed his eyes for a second, before opening them, and baring his teeth at the monk and the little fox demon smirking at him in the corner. No one dared interrupt the pair as Kagome cried, but eventually her sobs slowed, and she stepped out of the hanyou's embrace. Sango stepped forward and grabbed her friend's hand and led her out of the hut, back into the sunshine.

"Kagome, I think you need a little girl time." The fading voice said, and Inuyasha's ear flicked back, to listen to their footsteps as they walked silently toward the riverbank at the edge of town, and then, he turned his attention back to the kitsune, and the monk that sat smirking in the corner of the shelter.

Inuyasha sat down at the fire in the middle of the room, continuing to glare at the others, hoping to delay the inevitable questions that would come. During the time Kagome had cried into Inuyasha's haori, Shippou had apparently been busy at work with his crayons, and after a few minutes of glaring, Shippou threw up a sign of an adorably drawn hanyou and miko kissing.

Inuyasha jumped up and took to steps toward the door as the little fox threw the sign behind him and ran from the room.

"KAGOME! INUYASHA'S GUNNA HIT ME BUT HE HASN'T YET!"

The hanyou clenched his fist and growled as he walked back to his sulking place by the fire. Miroku let out a short laugh and went back to his stew, pretending to ignore his friend. Inuyasha's head fell back to hit the wall, and as he sighed toward the heavens, he pulled the silver and green ring out of his haori and inspected it again.

All of those emeralds were a slightly different shade of green, and the way the silver twisted around itself, and the slight texture that it had, made the piece a work of art, rather than just a piece of jewelry.

_When the time is right, huh? When's that supposed to be? _He sighed, and then a too smooth voice interrupted his train of thought.

"Inuyasha-sama, what is that glinting in your hand that makes you think so hard? I can smell the bonfire burning in that brain of yours from here."

_I guess it doesn't matter if he sees it, does it? _So with another growl, not even looking at the rings intended target, the hanyou threw it across the room. There was a slight clapping noise as the monks fingers wrapped quickly around the small object. Miroku took the ring between his fingers and peered at it intently. He turned it around in his hands, looking not only at the leafy front of the ring that would sit on the top of one's hand, but also the underneath, where the band got thicker, as though it were the trunk of the tree.

"Where did you acquire this, Inuyasha? The craftsmanship is incredible."

"Kagome's mother gave it to me. She said '_I'll know when the time is right'_! Like I know what that means! Keh."

"Oh, that explains it."

"Explains what?"

"It's the Goshinbuko."

"Huh?"

Miroku scooted around the fire to the hanyou and turned the ring to its underbelly. There on the trunk of the ring, among the fine etching and building that created the exact texture of bark, was the scar, where the arrow had stuck the hanyou to the tree so many years ago.

"Keh!" He said, as he snatched the ring back from the monk, staring at it again. His eyebrows knitted together, and his ears flicked back flat against his head as he gently rocked it between his fingers.

Miroku stared at the face of the hanyou, sensing his confusion, and then looked at the ceiling.

"You know, there is this custom that Sango talks about sometimes. She saw it in one of Kagome's shiny books with all the pictures. When a man wants to get married in modern times, he finds a really romantic place, and then, when he's ready, he takes his woman there and gets down on one knee and asks for her hand."

"Her hand?"

"In marriage."

"Oh."

There was silence for a minute as both men continued to stare at the ceiling.

"I asked Sango to marry me."

The hanyou looked over to the monk who was smirking at the ceiling.

"On one knee?"

"No, I feel kind of like a shmuck, last night, when we were all celebrating, after you disappeared with Kagome, she just came up to me, and we were both a little drunk, and she led me to the hot spring." The monk stuttered for a minute, he talked so fast he was having trouble getting his breath. "She's always smacked my hand away, or hit me in the head, but at the hot spring she just undressed and all she had on was this tiny little white kimono undergarment thing. Then she pulled me out of my clothes, except for my fundoshi, and then we did some things that…"

The monk was a furious shade of red, which made Inuyasha laugh out loud. The monk was actually embarrassed.

"And?" The dog-eared man goaded.

"And it just slipped out," Miroku's gaze shifted to the floor, and he put his now unwrapped hand to his neck. "I thought she was going to hit me when I said it, but when I looked at her, she was all soft looking and she just said yes and went back to doing what we were doing before. Then we woke up really late and came back here and she asked me when we were going to do the ceremony. I thought maybe it was a drunken thing until then, but she was serious, and I'm glad. _Whew!_"

"Glad that's off your chest?" The hanyou was seriously laughing now, and the monk looked like he had just been relieved of an awful case of heartburn.

Miroku exhaled again, feeling like he was going to hyperventilate if he didn't take deep breaths.

"Oh you have no idea."

"Finish your food, lover boy; we have business around town I think."

"Business?"

"You're gunna need a place to live aren't you? With all those children Sango's gunna bear?"

The monk blushed even harder, causing more howling laughter from the half demon. Now it was Miroku's turn to say, "KEH!"

* * *

Down at the river bank, two young women were busy soaking their feet in the gentle flow near the banks. Sango had tucked her kimono up into her obi to avoid it getting wet, and Kagome had her socks and shoes stored safely close by. Sango looked over at her friend, noting that the puffiness had receded greatly from her face, and was replaced with a genuine smile.

"Want to talk about it?" The demon slayer was trying to breach the subject as gently as she could.

The young miko stretched her arms towards the sky and sighed, "You know, I think I'm where I'm supposed to be. I wasn't born here, and I don't have any family, or childhood friends here, but I feel like I'm finally home. Does that make any sense? I know that I'll miss my family, but there's a trade off for everything in life. Karmic Balance. You know? I feel less afraid now too. More committed to what I have to do." The miko smiled again at Sango, and toed the river bottom, creating ripples across the surface of the water. "I feel like this will all be ok! No dying, no being sent back to my time, and no disappearing."

Sango looked back at Kagome in shock, "Dying? Disappearing? What are you talking about? You know we wouldn't let anyone hurt you."

"It's not something that I think you guys would be able to help with. When I destroy the jewel, anything could happen. I just don't know what, and that's kind of frightening, but I feel like if I stand firm in all of my choices, that then I will have a better chance against it. I don't want it to sense any weakness!"

"How are you going to do it then?"

"Well, I just have to make a wish, right? So I figured, since I don't know what the outcome will be, that I would take it to Midoriko's cave, where it all began. It just feels right."

"You're going to go alone?"

Kagome looked down to hide the deep crimson blush that spread across her neck and cheeks, "No, I've asked Inuyasha to come with me, just the two of us."

Sango laughed at how shy the normally outgoing girl was being.

"Don't make fun of me alright!" Kagome looked defiantly away from her friend.

"I'm not! I promise!" Sango laughed harder as she said it, which faded into an impish smile, "As long as you two are back in time for Miroku's and my wedding!"

Kagome's jaw dropped as she ran to grab Sango's arms.

"Really?! How did he ask you?"

Now it was Sango's turn to blush and turn her head. "Well, it was last night, after the celebration, and we went to the hot spring together. Then in the middle of an… ah… heated moment, he asked me to marry him and I said yes. I think he might have thought I was going to slap him, but I figured if I didn't say yes then, he would never ask again!"

Kagome kissed her friend, and sister's, cheek, "I can't wait! I'm going to help you plan the best wedding ever! Don't even start thinking about planning one single thing without me!"

With that, the girls dissolved into giggles and squeals of happiness, and turned to talk of celebration.

* * *

Author's Note-

My Darlings,

I missed you almost as much as I have missed having internet these past few days.

I hope you will forgive me, but not my internet service provider, for this gross lapse in posting chapters.

I love you all.

Write to me, sweet ducklings,

Pumayyaton


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